Everyone has things they like to collect, I happen to have a few; luxury bedding, lipsticks and cookbooks seem to always top my list. Cookbooks have always been something I have coveted, from a young age I would read them in my bed till I fell asleep. My collection has only grown with time and I have recently found that vintage books seem to be amongst my favorites. I love to get inspired by an old recipe, there is always something to learn and adapt into my methods. I had the good fortune of receiving a few on a recent trip to Chicago from two family friends. One of the books was by Anna Thomas called The Vegetarian Epicure Book Two. The book is full of so many incredible tips and tricks my heart leapt with joy as I turned each page. I found a recipe I wanted to recreate to give to the lovely woman who had gifted me with this wonderful book, a delicious Genoese cake (genoise if you prefer). An Italian cake created in honor of the city Genoa, Italy, this cake is familiar to a sponge cake. The airy and delicious texture happens without any chemical leavening, it acquires its volume from mixing. I used the basic recipe featured in this amazing book but added my own twist with a delicious honey strawberry preserve and honeyed whipped cream.
Genoese Recipe;
8 eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
grated rind of 1 lemon
1 ¾ cups sifted flour
½ cup butter, melted and cooled
Break the eggs into a large bowl, and place that bowl inside an even larger one, which is about half full of hot water. Add the sugar and grated lemon rind to the eggs and beat them with an electric mixer for about 8 to 10 minutes. They should be puffed up to 3 times their former volume, creamy white in color, and they should fall in a thick ribbon when scooped up with a spoon
Take the bowl of beaten eggs out of the hot water and put it in a bowl of cold water. Beat the eggs for several more minutes, until they are cool. Sprinkle the sifted flour over them and fold it in with a small spatula or flat wooden spoon, using a minimum number of strokes needed to blend the flour into the eggs.
Pour the melted and cooled butter over the cake batter, leaving out only the milky sediments in the bottom of the saucepan. Again, fold in the butter with light, smooth strokes, stopping as soon as it is incorporated.
Pour the batter into a large (10-inch) buttered and floured springform pan, or into 2 large (9-inch) buttered and floured layer pans line with parchment paper. Smooth the batter very gently in the pans, and bake in a preheated oven at 350º degrees for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown on top and pulling away from the sides of the pan.
Remove the cake or cakes from the pans and cool on cake racks.
Makes 1 very large cake or 2 large layers.
While the cake cools to room temperature make this wonderful strawberry honey preserve.
Strawberry Honey Preserve
2 cups of whole strawberries, hulled and sliced ¼ inch thick
2 cups of water
2 cups of honey
Bring the water and honey to boil, stir the contents until dissolved. Add strawberries to water & honey mixture, return to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes then remove the contents from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Honeyed Whipped Cream
1 pint heavy whipping cream
¼ cup of honey
For a delicious homemade whipped cream; place your mixing bowl and beater(s) in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before using.
Combine whipped cream and honey into your mixing bowl. Beat/whip contents over medium-high heat until stiff peaks form, about 3-5 minutes depending on your mixer.
Once your cakes have cooled, place one onto a serving plate. Trim the top layer of both cakes down to a flat surface which will allow the berry preserve to be readily absorbed into the cake. Once you have trimmed the top, begin to spoon the preserve mixture onto the top of the first cake, about ⅓ of the mixture. Be sure to push the preserve or juice and pieces into the cake. In the center of that cake, dollop a few spoonfuls of the whipped cream honey into the center. Place the second piece of layer on top of the second.
Begin to push the remaining preserves all the way around the sides of the cake. The cake is like a sponge and will absorb liquid and fruit around the edges. Top the cake with the remaining whipped creamed honey and top with a few extra strawberry slices. The longer this cake sits the better it tastes so allow it to sit in the fridge overnight if you have the patience.
